The present invention relates to a train""s distributed power control operations, and more specifically to a track database integrity monitor and method applied to a distributed power control system to enhance railroad safety during all-weather, day and night railroad operations when the train is in a distributed power mode of operation.
Trains, especially freight trains, often include so many cars that multiple locomotives are utilized to move and operate the train. These multiple locomotives as generally dispersed throughout the line of cars. In these situations, even though a train""s engineer cannot have complete visual contact with the total length of the train, the engineer is relied upon to have intimate knowledge and remember past, current, and upcoming train track path conditions such as grades, turns, and inclines along the route at all times, in total darkness as well as in all weather conditions in order to make optimal decisions regarding slowing or braking, and increasing throttle power for upcoming hills and valleys.
Train control and safety concerns are further added to an engineer""s tasks while in a distributed power mode condition. Typically, when a group of locomotives are used in a train, one acts as a master locomotive and the others act as slave locomotives. Under this concept, the throttle and brake controls of the slave locomotives are performed as a result of commands received from the master locomotive, where the engineer is usually located. Distributed power control systems generally utilize radio frequency communication modules mounted in each respective locomotive of a train to send and receive throttle and brake setting commands.
Occurrences sometime arise where not enough time is available for the engineer to communicate to each locomotive. For example, suppose a train includes three locomotives, one each at the beginning, middle, and end of a train, and the lead locomotive has begun descending down a steep hill while the second locomotive is at the crest of the hill and the third locomotive is just beginning to climb the hill. The momentum of the first locomotive is attempting to increase due to the force of gravity and attempts to speed-up which can cause its wheels to slip and exerts greater force on the couplings. The train engineer begins to decrease the throttle and applies dynamic braking to the first locomotive. The engineer does not have enough time to separately control the third locomotive, thus the third locomotive may be throttled-back and have brakes applied as it is attempting to climb the hill.
Damage may occur to the train couplings, the third locomotive, or the locomotive may separate, due to the vector force component of gravity pulling the third locomotive in the opposite direction of the first locomotive.
Similarly, with the continued development of locomotives, future locomotives may be developed that can handle the load of several current locomotives. Thus instead of using several locomotives for one train, the number of locomotives may reduce to as few as one. As locomotives are further developed, the responsibilities of the engineer may increase or the engineer""s job emphasis may change. For example, many tasks currently performed by the engineer, such as distributing power based on a location of a train or locomotive may become automated. With this in mind, a disputed power system, in a general sense can be viewed as a system to remotely operate and apply power disputation to a locomotive.
With the development of computers and computer software, systems and methods are being currently developed which use sensors or simulation software to assist in independently controlling all slave locomotives in a train, by using a position-determining device, and a database containing track topography. However, it is believed that such systems simply use a position of a train compared to pre-stored track database to provide distributed power for the train. Such an approach however, does not appear to consider weather conditions and other environmental conditions that are constantly changing. Furthermore, such a system does not have a mechanism to determine whether the pre-stored track database is error-free or whether the position-determining device, such as a Global Positioning System, is providing correct location data to the system.
One example of the type of errors which may be realized with respect to a pre-stored track database are blunder errors. Blunder errors could result because of the inherent nature of human error in piecing together sections of digitized track data. In another scenario, equipment malfunctions may cause bad data points to be recorded during the digitization of the track database. Some errors may also occur due to a high likelihood of more than one absolute single manufactured source of a track database.
Other errors may occur because of physical track changes which may unknowingly have occurred over time due to natural causes, disasters, or scheduled maintenance. Yet other errors may occur as a result of reference frame errors. In this situation, the reference data may be based on a precise track data referenced to a specific datum, such as World Geodetic Survey (WGS)84. However, a certain locomotive may be using precise track data referenced to a different datum, such as WGS 72. Another possible error can occur if the position information, provided by the position-determining device, is in error because of space or control segment anomalies.
Towards this end, it would be beneficial if an enhanced locomotive distributed power system existed that integrated a track database integrity monitor to monitor and anticipate errors when a train is operating in a distributed power mode. Thus, a distributed power system for remotely controlling a locomotive is presented. The system comprises a position-determining device for determining a position of the locomotive. A pre track database comprising terrain and contour data about a railroad track is also included. A track database integrity monitor for detecting errors with the pre-stored track database, and a processor comprising an algorithm to determine a distributed power for the locomotive and to use the track database integrity monitor to determine if errors exist in the pre-stored track database are also provided. The system also comprises a memory device connected to the processor.
The present invention also discloses a method for remotely controlling a locomotive. The method comprises determining a position of the locomotive with a position-determining device. The method also provides for a pre- stored track database comprising track terrain and contour information, coupler sensor data. Processing the position of the train, the coupler sensor data and comparing the position with the pre-stored track database to determine a distributed power to apply to the master locomotive and the slave locomotive also occurs in the method. A track database integrity monitor to determine whether the pre-stored track database and the position correlate is applied. If the track database integrity monitor corresponds with the pre-stored track database, a distributed power is calculated and applied to the master locomotive and the slave locomotive. A second track database based on applying the track database integrity monitor is created. A second track database is saved in a memory device.